


clandestine meetings

by castlecrumbled



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Based on a Taylor Swift Song, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Esther used to have a crush on Hermione, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Heavy Angst, Mentions of Taylor Swift, Secret Relationship, Top Draco Malfoy, kind of enemies..., this is gonna be a bumpy ride
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:47:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26441443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/castlecrumbled/pseuds/castlecrumbled
Summary: [and that's the thing about illicit affairsand clandestine meetingsand longing stares]-set during 1997 to 1998from the end of ootp to the end of half blood prince
Relationships: Draco Malfoy & Original Female Character(s), Luna Lovegood/Blaise Zabini
Kudos: 1





	clandestine meetings

17th June 1997

Esther hated summer. For one thing, it was hot, humid and she absolutely detested any flying insect, especially those with the ability to sting you. For another, the humidity made her hair stick up awkwardly, and, despite her best efforts to control it, she always ended up with frizz. And, finally, summer meant she didn't have an excuse not to attend her sister's quidditch practice. it's not that she didn't enjoy it, it's just she rather be doing anything else.  
The pitch was relatively empty, at this time. Only the Ravenclaw team, and a few odd spectators were present. This was a good thing. It meant Esther could catch up on her reading. Yes, yes a typical stereotype of a Ravenclaw student right? Well, the reading wasn't very informative or academic unless you studied fictional muggle folklore. Esther was obsessed with the newest muggle series about a faerie prince and his unwanted affection for a human girl. It was just fascinating, completely and utterly factually incorrect on the topic of faeries, but very addictive.

"Oi" A familiar voice called, and Esther looked up, to see her sister hovering on her broom, about 7 metres in front of her. She waved an arm frantically, and Esther grinned widely. Her sister was a stout, round faced girl with dark hair called Nancy and she happened to be one of the best beaters on the Ravenclaw team since 1972. She'd managed to successfully snag the position off of Duncan Inglebee after he'd come down with a nasty case of Scrofunglulus.  
Nancy was loud, confident and incredibly clever, which was something her siblings always envied. Esther had one older brother called Jude, who left had Hogwarts and began work in the South Asia, where he met his wife, Akash. Since then, he had permanently lived there, and they'd had a son Sometimes, Jude would visit and bring back gifts for his sisters, beautiful jewels and delicious treats. Esther's younger sister, Sylvia, was in her first year. She was almost as gauche as Esther but her pretty eyes and witty manner made up for her lack of social skills.

"Nance, it's almost 10, you're starving me" Esther called back, making her sister chuckle. With a swift wave of her hand, Nancy gestured her to go down onto the pitch to meet.  
Esther happily did as she was told. Stuffing the heavy book back inside her satchel, she walked down towards the pitch, thick boots clunking on the wooden steps.  
As Esther approached the grass, she noticed a gaggle of emerald clad students holding rather shiny brooms.  
"We need the pitch an hour earlier on Friday" She heard the Slytherin Captain say to Roger Davies. The Ravenclaws were soon gathered around, and irritated expressions promptly appeared after they heard this news. Esther gingerly scurried over her sister, greeting her with a quick nod.  
"Can't we just share? This doesn't seem fair" Davies sniffed, eyeing the slytherin cautiously. Esther didn't blame him for the aloof attitude, Slytherins did have a reputation for a reason.  
"If that's what you want, I suppose, at least you're not Gryffindors " The boy spoke icily, causing a few snickers to break out amongst his teammates. Esther eyed the Slytherins, staring at their grimacing faces, but found she only knew one of them...Draco Malfoy, the blonde haired rich boy who had it out for Harry Potter. Esther hadn't really properly looked at him before, apart from their first day, when they were sorted into their houses. He was in two of her classes but always sat at the back in the corner, so she never saw his face that often.  
He'd certainly grown into his features. Where there was once a round, youthful if not bratty eleven year old, now stood a sharp, handsome and somewhat tall, seventeen year old. It wasn't until his silvery eyes met hers that she realised she was staring directly at him. Draco rose his eyebrows, and cocked his head to the side slightly in question. Esther felt her skin heat. She just knew there was now a red tinge forming on her cheeks. She quickly looked away, deciding instead to stare at the back of Cho Chang's left knee, who was stood in front of her.  
The Ravenclaw Captain rolled his eyes at whatever the Slytherin had just said, and they continued their conversation in somewhat hushed tones.  
Davies glanced over his shoulder, before announcing dismissal, "alright you can go now, but be here, 6:30 sharp on friday, i don't want any excuses".  
Esther sighed deeply, knowing that meant her too. Nancy liked having company.  
The Ravenclaws toddled glumly into the changing rooms, whilst Esther waited patiently on the bench just outside. Curiously, Esther glanced over her shoulder, where she just managed to see Malfoy floating somewhat gracefully near the quidditch hoops. She groaned inwardly and looked away.

...

19th June 1997

Esther sank to her knees, slumping down on the grassy earth beneath her. The breeze was non existent, and the sun was hot and heavy on her dark hair. She was near the lakes, admiring the glistening waters and reading.  
Since the death of Cedric Diggory, Hogwarts had fallen much more quiet. Hufflepuff students seemed to be were less cheerful and the teachers less talkative. Umbridge didn't make things any better. She was cold and cruel. Even Nancy hated her, and that was a very rare occasion. The rules were ridiculous, and she seemed to have to out for everyone, especially Harry Potter. Esther felt afraid and on edge. Despite the year being almost over, it felt like she hadn't been at Hogwarts all that much.  
Things going to be different next year, and for more years to come. She knew that bad things were near, that perhaps there was a war approaching, soon. Esther felt it in her bones.  
The thought of his death made a trickle of fear slide down her spine, ever so subtly. Dumbledore's words echoed through her mind, a constant reminder that the dark lord was back. Esther was not stupid; she did not believe the Daily Prophet and it's slandering of Harry Potter's name. It was completely ridiculous.  
The thoughts raced around and around her brain. She huffed childishly, 'does everyone believe everything they read?'

Lying down on her back, she closed her eyes, holding up a hand to block out the sun. Someday, when this was all over and she had finished school, she would move away to York. Or, perhaps Paris and live there, eating pastries and drinking sweet cups of tea. Esther would buy a gorgeous little flat, where she would grow colourful flowers in window boxes and own a black cat called Marmite. It was a daydream she often got lost in. After what seemed like a simple ten minutes, Esther glanced down at her wristwatch.

Shit.

It was 12:56, which meant she had approximately four minutes to get to the Dungeons for her Potions lesson with Professor Snape. Luckily, Esther was especially talented at potions, so she tolerated Snape, despite the macabre atmosphere the classroom brought. However, she did detest the obvious favouritism his exhibited in his lessons. In first year, she had Potions with the Gryffindors and Esther still had a sour taste in her mouth from how he treated Harry Potter and his two friends.

Flinging her bag over her head, she ran hastily up the pathway from the Lake and headed towards the Castle. By the time she arrived, Esther's hair was sticking uncomfortably to her head from the sweat she accumulated during her sprint.  
Esther approached the corridor, her legs speeding up, praying silently that the class had not yet started.  
As she got closer, Esther noticed curiously, that someone was stood outside the classroom. It looked from a student from behind, with platinum blonde hair. She recognised them instantly as Malfoy.  
"Are you late too?" Esther inquired, making the blonde start ever so slightly. He turned to face her, lips moulded into a perfect grimace.  
"Yes." His voice was cold and distant. She rolled her eyes, her lips letting out a sharp puff of air.  
"Are you planning on going in at any point? Unlike you, Snape won't let my tardiness off with nod of the head. " She replied in a voice equally as cold. Esther's fake assertiveness was a very well crafted illusion created by her constant observations of Nancy. She seen her sister's boldness exhibited so frequently, that Esther's imitations were borderline perfect. She could hold this brittle confidence for mere moments, but if he were to push her any further, Esther would most likely become a pathetic doormat.  
Luckily, he didn't. Malfoy simply scowled, before pushing his way into the classroom and slumping into the nearest chair. Esther followed his footsteps hurriedly, taking the seat behind him. Snape did not look up from the front of his desk, but he did acknowledge their presence, with that dreadful monotone vocalisation.  
"Mr Malfoy... and Miss Clarke" His words were like ice upon her ears, making her cringe down into her seat.  
"How nice of you to join us"  
Esther muttered a hushed apology. After what seemed like years, Snape continued with his lesson. She knew for a fact that if it were not for Malfoy's presence, she would certainly have gotten points deducted from Ravenclaw.  
The hour was tedious, with little practical work, apart from some practice at chopping wormwood, due to the 'incompetent inaccuracies' of last week.  
Esther's hands drummed on the desk, absentmindedly. She wasn't sat next to anyone, as her usual partner was off sick. Thankfully, Will had told her beforehand, so Esther was prepared to sit in silence. Not that she ever did much talking in Snape's classes. Her eyes wandered over to the back of Malfoy's head. He always looked so polished and clean cut and he was just so blonde... and tall. She'd never noticed that before.  
He must have been at least six foot. Esther wasn't particularly tall, she wasn't particularly anything. Especially not 'clean cut'. She was simply a side character. She never saw herself as anything.  
Malfoy was definitely a main character. He was filthy rich, so she'd heard, smart, and handsome.  
He was also part of Umbridge's little inquisitorial squad, she remembered. The thought of it made a small smile creep on her lips. Most of the Ravenclaws made fun of them, with Esther making comments to her friends here and there. Something that united all houses against Slytherin was their hate for Umbridge.

...

23rd June 1997

Esther was sat neatly between Luna Lovegood and Nancy. The feast was delicious as per usual, so much so that she sneaked a few extra roast potatoes onto her plate. These days, it was difficult to fully satisfy her ravishing appetite. Most likely, Esther would fill out a little more. 'Roundness' was a common physical trait in her family.   
In her left ear, Luna was dreamily discussing Wrackspurts to the person opposite her, and to her right, Nancy was pouring another glass of Pumpkin juice. Esther's own head was high in the clouds.  
From across the room, she glanced James Fawley gingerly slipping out of the great hall, and, mumbling a quick excuse, followed his tottering footsteps. In the corridor, it was quiet and colder.   
"James !" Esther called, and the silver and black haired Ravenclaw paused. James was a tall, lean dimple faced student who happened to be one of her closest friends. He was a pureblood, but didn't carry the usual values which came along with that title. James's hair was naturally black, but as a child, he was hit with a near fatal curse which left him with bright argent looking streaks in his hair and a ragged scar across his neck.  
Unfortunately, James's childhood incident didn't have the claim to fame that Harry Potter's scar did. For it wasn't an infamous dark wizard that had scarred him, but James's own father. Hardly anyone knew of the origin of his scar, apart from Esther, her sisters, and a few members of staff.   
"Esther, " James smiled at her, warm and welcoming. His voice was husky and his skin looked paler than usual. She instantly recognised he had not taken his medicine yet. Because of the nature of the curse, James had to take a specially brewed potion every day in order to stop the dark magic spreading further into his system. The potion had consequences, though. He was much more slender than typical seventeen year old boys and very vulnerable to mild infections. Esther's heart sank, as her eyes gazed over his fragile state.   
"James" She sighed, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the astronomy tower. His skin was cold, oh so cold.   
Oh, James.   
In the common room, Esther carefully retrieved his medication. Luckily there was no one in the boy's dormitories because of the feast. It was a small silver bottle, which the house elves left on his bedside table everyday. Esther knew that it was most likely Professor Snape who brewed the complicated concoction. One of the reasons for her enthusiasm for Potions was because Esther hoped she could one day be able to master the elixir.   
James carefully poured the bottle into his mouth, hands shaking.   
"Thank you" His voice was much more clear, and she felt relief surge through her body.   
At one time, Esther had felt something for James, a little more than friendship. It was in second year. He was the only person who actually seemed to understand her. But, this fleeting moment passed, and instead was replaced with a sisterly affection. James was one of her favourite people in the world.

"We should probably get back" Esther whispered, hearing James's breathing become more regulated.   
He nodded, rising to his feet slowly and taking her hand.   
They gently walked back to the Hall, linking arms so Esther could help support his weight.

James's father was a death eater.   
An arrogant, ignorant man who craved power and had an intolerance for muggles.   
As a child, James's family were brutally torn apart by the cruel actions of Voldemort. He ordered that James's mother, Michiko, take the dark mark, as James's father had done, to prove the loyalty of the Fawley family. In her refusing to do so, Voldemort ordered instead that James's father murder his own child. A punishment for his wife's disobedience.

And, he almost did.   
Michiko had bravely refused to let go of James.  
She begged, pleaded with her husband, wondering if the man she had once married was still buried inside the cold exterior.

"Please, don't do this, 子供を傷つけないでください"

James's father was unable to kill his son, but still defiled him with dark magic and ruthlessly attacked his wife.

Esther had not cried so much in one day, when James had told her, that night in the common room when they were only twelve years old. He was a baby when it happened. James's father believed his wife to be dead and his son, a cripple.   
He soon fled, once Voldemort had disappeared.   
Michiko was left a shell of the woman she once was, blank and lifeless. Her life was confined to the walls of St. Mungos.   
Esther was the closest thing James had to family.   
Inside the warmth of the Great Hall, James and Esther carefully walked over to the Ravenclaw table. She patiently made sure James was eating, and added extra slices of roast beef onto his plate when he was greeting Luna.  
Just as she was tucking into a portion of custard tart, Esther noticed Malfoy at the Slytherin table. She could not quite place why she was suddenly so curious about him. She had attended school with him for almost five years, and never really cared much. Malfoy had clear priorities, things which she highly disapproved of. But, recently, it felt different.  
Malfoy's notorious frown was sketched onto his pale skin as per usual. Pansy Parkinson was eagerly chatting to Astoria Greengrass opposite her whilst Draco sat silently, his gaze unfocused and distant. He was quite intimidating, Esther thought, especially with those silvery eyes.  
Something that always made her anxious around Slytherins was that they were most likely to turn bad. James's father had been a Slytherin. His mother was a Gryffindor. And, of course, Esther knew not to depend on house stereotypes but there was evidence, statistics and logic which contributed the label. It wasn't just a rivalry narrative created by a few bitter Gryffindors.   
Her eyes were still on Draco, and, Esther wondered, was he going to follow in the Malfoys footsteps too? She knew his family had once been big supporters of Voldemort and were most likely still loyalists to his name.   
Draco certainly seemed to agree with his family's morals, the distain for anyone who was not deemed pureblood, herself included.   
Esther was a halfblood. Her mother came from the Avery pureblood family whereas her father was a muggleborn. And, it just so happened that her filthy mudblood father was exceptionally talented and excelled in almost all subjects when he was at Hogwarts. This was one of the reasons Esther secretly admired Hermione Granger so much.   
Draco Malfoy had snapped back into focus and was now looking directly at Esther. She had been caught  
staring at him for the second time in two weeks.   
Automatically, her skin began to heat at the act of being caught.   
Draco's frown had now been replaced with an arrogant little smirk.


End file.
